Grading the Draft: NFC North 
Green Bay Packers
1(9): DT B.J. Raji – A smart, quick nose tackle who we predicted going to the Packers from very early on. He fits the new defensive scheme well and will be asked to contribute early. Raji is a dominating nose tackle and will anchor the Packers 3-4 defense in a high rotation behind Ryan Pickett. If he can handle the heavy workload, the Packers run defense should get a real boost. Great pick.
1(26): OLB Clay Matthews – Grid-X is not that big on Matthews, and was surprised to see him go ahead of Maualuga. Matthews has the skills to become a star, but only had one season as a starter at USC. He could struggle learning the 3-4, and fans should not expect to depend on him in his first year. The Packers were very happy with this pick and must have a perfect role ready for this monster kid.
4(9): OT T.J. Lang – Good size and strength, could develop into a full time starter. Project with upside.
5(9): FB Quinn Johnson – Seems like a waste of a pick as the Packers already have solid fullbacks on the roster. They must see something in this former LSU tough guy, and he may open competition in training camp.
Other Moves: The Packers focused on their Defense in this years draft and would love to find a diamond in the rough in the later rounds. DE Jarius Wynn and OLB Brad Jones are late picks that will be tested early, while CB Brandon Underwood from Cincinnati might be moved around a lot trying to find a perfect spot for this versatile DB. Overall this was a solid draft for the Packers.
Draft Grade: B


Minnesota Vikings
1(22): WR Percy Harvin – We had reported early on that a handful of teams were interested in Harvin, but none liked him more than the Vikings. Meanwhile the bigger question remains: who will be throwing him the ball? Rumors are now surfacing that Harvin will be used in a Wildcat formation. This purple haze of speed could be the wrinkle the Vikings have needed to help move the chains, instead of forcing sub-par quarterbacks to make tough throws. Good pick.
2(22): OT Phil Loadholt – a power running team can always use another monster offensive tackle. Loadholt should line up at right tackle and be asked to punch holes on a regular basis. Smart pick.
3 (22): CB Asher Allen – Nickel Corner at best, no real burst of speed. A reach in our opinion.
Other Moves: The Vikings added LB Jasper Brinkley in the fifth round, who might have a shot at a reserve role at OLB. Jamarca Sanford is a special teamer at best.
Draft Grade: C+

Chicago Bears
3(4): DE Jarron Gilbert – Big, tough defensive end that will add size and depth to the Bears line. Could take time to develop, but his pure athleticism couldn’t have been passed up in the 3rd round.
3(35): WR Juaquin Iglesias – This draft was spent on getting Jay Cutler. With all the Bears picks coming on day 2, Iglesias has excellent value considering where the Bears were drafting from. Iglesias is a fearless receiver that will go across the middle and has good speed off the line.
4(5): DE Henry Melton – Pure pass rusher, great pro day with a blazing 40 time. Has a huge frame and may be the sleeper pick of the Bears draft.
4(19): CB D.J. Moore – Moore’s stock fell far, but the Bears caught this projected first rounder and will plug him into a nickel role almost right away. Lack of speed hurt this former Vanderbilt star but his ball skills are top notch. Great pick.
Summary: The Bears gave away a lot picks for Jay Cutler, and although the price was high this draft wasn’t a total bust. Chicago added some great depth and grabbed a few kids that were projected to go much higher. After D.J. Moore in the 4th the Bears loaded up on project players including small school receiver Johnny Knox and guard Lance Louis, while taking a chance on a few high risk prospects such as LB Marcus Freeman and FS Al Afalava who could boom or bust.
Draft Grade: B

Detroit Lions
1(1): QB Matthew Stafford – the Lions made the smart pick in locking up their future quarterback. With Culpepper still on the roster, the question remains: when will this team turn to Richie Rich to run the show? Easing Stafford into the starting role behind a bad O-line will no doubt save some longer term mileage.
1(20): TE Brandon Pettigrew – So the Lions would rather have a Tight End than receiver Roy Williams. This pick may come back to haunt them as there were still good offensive lineman available. Pettigrew is an all around player, and will improve the running game along with being a nice check down receiver.
2(1): CB/SS Louis Delmas – Great pick, Delmas is a tough, ball hawking safety that the Lions have needed for years. He has the chance to become an immediate contributor.
3(12): OLB DeAndre Levy – Another tough hard hitting player to add to this rebuilding team. Levy is the kind of player you want to play all game, although he may need time to develop.
3(18): WR Derrick Williams – Special teams are important, and the Lions took a shot on a speedy playmaker. Detroit had an interesting approach to this draft ignoring the O and D-lines, but speed kills and toughness can’t be measured.
Other Moves: The Lions had a quick fix type draft that may cost them even more time to grow. However, you can’t get any worse than last year, and taking a shot in the later rounds on players such as RB Aaron Brown and DT Sammie Lee Hill could pay off as late round steals.
Draft Grade: B+